Liner plates are employed in mobile earth-moving machinery, specifically at interface surfaces of load-bearing portions such as, for example, bucket trays, truck trays and the like. The liner plates are typically welded to the interface surfaces of load-bearing portions and function primarily as a wear/sacrificial damage item, so as to protect and maintain the integrity of the material used at the load-bearing portions. Furthermore, the liner plates are replaced when worn out (for example, due to abrasion, repeated impacts, and so forth) if the plates do not fail prior to replacement.
Currently, with mobile earth-moving machinery, even when new, there is typically a gap between the interface surface of the load-bearing portion and the liner plate. This is particularly true for instances when there is any curvature on the interface surface and/or the interface surface is uneven due to prior damage from, for example, impacts, abrasions, and so forth. Damage to the interface surface is particularly significant whenever the liner plate is worn down to the interface surface of the load-bearing portion.
One of the main causes of premature liner plate failure (i.e. before it is worn down to its residual thickness) is due to fatigue cracks developing in the welds due to flexure of the liner plate. The break in the welds causes the liner plate to come off in part or completely. This is undesirable in view of the damage which is caused to the interface surface and also the danger caused by the separation of the liner plate from the interface surface. It is also an additional financial burden if the liner plates fail pre-maturely due to the need for more liner plates and the down-time for the mobile earth-moving machinery resulting from the time required to replace the liner plates.